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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29268024">I Can Never Stop (Wasting My Time With You</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/owlways_and_forever/pseuds/owlways_and_forever'>owlways_and_forever</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Mischief They Create [30]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Accidental Pregnancy, Alternate Universe - Muggle, Discussion of Abortion, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Political Debating, Unplanned Pregnancy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2019-12-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2019-12-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 13:55:31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,529</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29268024</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/owlways_and_forever/pseuds/owlways_and_forever</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>He's her fiercest rival. Until an unintended situation thrusts them together.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>James Potter/Lily Evans Potter</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Mischief They Create [30]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1888561</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>I Can Never Stop (Wasting My Time With You</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>HSW&amp;W, Assignment 9 | House: Gryffindor | Game &amp; Sports Task 2 | Prompt: Write about someone confessing something for the first time | Word Count: 2529</p><p>IPC: 248 - [Dialogue] "Please don't hang up on me this time, it's important."</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They used to be friends, an eternity ago. When they were children, they had often played together outside of school, but then James had gone off to Eton while Lily stayed nearer to home and attended Cheltenham Ladies' College. They were both at excellent schools, but James' ego seemed to inflate with every day that he spent in Windsor, making all kinds of friends that Lily hated. Over the years, they seemed to drift apart.</p><p>It had been quite a shock to both of them when they had unwittingly ended up at Cambridge together, both at King's College no less. Things didn't improve between them, though. It seemed what little friendship they had was being chipped away over differences in politics and vastly dissimilar interests. But they found themselves thrown together often enough, and they had a similar pattern each time.</p><p>Drink. Argue. Drink some more. End up pressed against a wall or into the mattress or frantically undressing in the bathroom stall. Wake up. Hate self. Loathe each other.</p><p>As much as she had grown to hate James, Lily couldn't help but find him infuriatingly attractive. His hazel eyes were like an ever changing mood ring, and his hair fell in an adorable mop of dark curls. And the way he smirked so self-assuredly when he caught her looking at him… He was just so annoyingly sexy.</p><p>The last time they had been together was nearly two months earlier, the result of their worst fight yet.</p><p>"<em>I can't believe they're putting forward legislation to limit abortions," Lily scoffed, looking at the TV above the bar with disdain.</em></p><p>"<em>Really?" James challenged, sliding into the seat next to Lily with a grin, and she rolled her eyes. "You don't think we should try to discourage people from having abortions?"</em></p><p>"<em>I don't think anybody does it without thinking in through fully, so no, I don't think we should discourage people," Lily said, her anger rising. "Besides, it's not up to us to decide what's moral and right for other people to do with their bodies."</em></p><p>"<em>Isn't it?" James asked, cocking an eyebrow. "Isn't that exactly what laws are for? To tell us how to behave and what's acceptable?"</em></p><p>"<em>Only when it comes to other people, we don't legislate what we can do to ourselves," Lily replied, fuming.</em></p><p>"<em>I beg to differ," James scoffed, signalling to the bartender for another drink. "We have laws that say I can't do heroin, I can't drive my car recklessly, laws that say I can't walk around the streets buck naked and play with myself. There are all kinds of laws about what I can and can't do, many of them for my own good, and others just because we, as a society, have agreed that that's the standard upon which we should operate."</em></p><p>"<em>So are you saying that abortion should be illegal </em>for my own good<em>?" Lily screeched, making James wince.</em></p><p>"<em>No, although admittedly there are a lot of risks and health ramifications associated with terminating a pregnancy," James stated matter-of-factly.</em></p><p>"<em>Not quite as many as there are with carrying and raising a child you don't want," she hissed, her voice low once more after drawing an uncomfortable amount of attention with her previous statement.</em></p><p>"<em>No one said you have to raise the kid," he shrugged, snatching one of Lily's fries quickly.</em></p><p>"<em>Oh, so I should just flood the abominable foster system with unwanted children that the state can't afford to take care of? You know the foster system is a complete joke!"</em></p><p>"<em>Well, foster system reform is a different discussion altogether, but no, I'm not saying that either." James paused dramatically, his eyes fixed on Lily as he grinned infuriatingly. "You could also use better birth control."</em></p><p>
  <em>Lily wanted to throw something at him. What kind of absolute monster was he? How had she ever found him even remotely attractive? It was absolutely unthinkable.</em>
</p><p><em>Ever stubborn and full of pride - especially after two beers and three vodka tonics - Lily wasn't able to leave it. She just kept pushing him, and pushing him, and he deftly skirted each of her arguments, skillfully debating her. And with each point that he made, the smirk on his face grew wider and more exuberant. That stupid, annoying, </em>sexy <em>smirk.</em></p><p>
  <em>And then they had left the pub, still shouting, and it had been pouring rain, and Lily had stupidly worn a white lace shirt. James' eyes had fixed on her chest, and the purple bra she was wearing underneath her shirt, and then they had been reaching for each other, trying to eliminate all space between them.</em>
</p><p>Lily's fingers hovered over the phone's keys. There was nothing in the world that she wanted to do less than make this phone call, but she knew there was no way around it. Quickly, before she could lose her courage, she danced her fingers across the keys, punching out his number. The phone rang twice before she heard the click that meant James had answered.</p><p>"Please don't hang up on me this time, it's important," Lily pleaded in a rush, despising the desperation in her voice. She sounded pathetic.</p><p>"What do you want?" James snapped on the other end of the phone, and Lily tried very hard not to snap back.</p><p>"I'm pregnant," she said quickly, ripping the bandaid off. It was the first time she had admitted it out loud, and she felt like just saying the words had lifted a little bit of the weight from her shoulders.</p><p>"Coffee in an hour?" he asked after a long pause, startling her completely.</p><p>"Sure," Lily agreed, not even needing to ask where he wanted to meet. She knew very well that his favourite coffee shop was a little place called Hogwarts - she didn't even remotely understand the name - a few blocks from his apartment.</p><p>"See you then," he answered, hanging up abruptly. But it wasn't the usual angry hang up that accompanied their conversations. Lily couldn't exactly pinpoint why, but this one just felt softer and more calm.</p><p>Lily took her time getting her things together and finding the coat she wanted - the plaid one that was cute and warm. She didn't much care about the cute part, but she liked that it was warm and soft, especially if she was going to walk to the coffeeshop. It was about a thirty minute walk, but driving made her nauseous, so she much preferred going on foot.</p><p>She arrived at the coffee shop to find James already there, waiting outside and leaning against the stone wall. As soon as he saw her, he pushed himself off of it, tossing the cigarette he had been twirling between his fingers into the trash. That was another thing she couldn't stand about him - the smoking. Lily opened the door and walked in wordlessly, heading straight to the counter to order. She didn't really know what to say to James, so she said nothing. She supposed he felt likewise, since he didn't start a conversation either. Lily waited for her hot chocolate in silence, and then proceeded to the back of the cafe where there were two comfy armchairs in a corner. She sat back and tried to collect her thoughts as she waited for James to join her.</p><p>"So, now what?" James asked, sitting down with his latte and crossing his legs in a nonchalant manner.</p><p>"Well, I suppose I know exactly what you'd <em>like</em> me to do," Lily hissed, anger bubbling in her stomach as she remembered how they had gotten into this situation.</p><p>"What?" James asked, obviously confused. Lily couldn't believe it. He had actually forgotten.</p><p>"We've pretty thoroughly established that you're against abortion," LIly stated coldly. "So I suppose you think that I should have the kid regardless of what I want to do, and that'll just be that?"</p><p>"Lily, I'm not -" he stopped and furrowed his brows, as if her words were only then fully registering. "Do you want to have an abortion?"</p><p>"Does it matter?" she huffed. "Would you let me if I did?"</p><p>"Of course!" James answered quickly, as his expression shifted to concern. "Lily, I'm not opposed to abortion, and even if I were, I understand that I don't get any say in what you do with your body. This is ultimately your choice, and I will be there for you regardless, as a friend or a partner, or in whatever capacity you'd like, okay?"</p><p>Lily softened at his words. She blamed her hormones. Furiously, she wiped away the tears that were building up. That was stupid, why was she crying? He'd only said what any decent person would, it shouldn't make her so emotional.</p><p>"Did you think that I was going to pressure you?" he asked, his voice low and so filled with concern that Lily couldn't take it.</p><p>The tears fell quickly even as she tried to take deep breaths and regain control. Aware that James was still looking at her worriedly and waiting for an answer, she nodded. As soon as she confirmed his fears, he launched himself from his seat, kneeling in front of her and pulling her into an awkward hug.</p><p>"God, Lily, no," he said quietly, whispering soothing noises and reassurances until she regained her composure.</p><p>"I'm sorry," Lily sniffed, motioning towards her tear-stained cheeks.</p><p>James waved off her apology as he pulled back enough to look at her. Tentatively, he took her hands in his, and Lily briefly noted how comfortable and natural the gesture felt. She allowed him to make and maintain eye contact, even though she felt like his gaze was going to set her on fire from its intensity.</p><p>"Lily, I would never, ever pressure you to do something you didn't want to, especially not something this monumental," James said, sincerity pouring forth. "But you shouldn't have the entire weight of this decision resting on you either. I hope you'll make this decision with me, but I would never try to make it for you. Ultimately you get the final say, as you should, but I think we should at least have a conversation about it all first, if you're okay with that."</p><p>"Okay," Lily agreed, nodding, and James returned to his chair.</p><p>James was quiet for a moment, and Lily didn't know how to proceed, so she was happy to sit and wait for him to take the lead. He'd thrown her for such a loop that she felt off balance now, and she was no longer sure where this conversation should start.</p><p>"This is stupid," he burst out suddenly, startling Lily a bit. "Come back to mine, I feel like we should be more comfortable for this chat."</p><p>Lily raised an eyebrow at him skeptically, but she knew that he wasn't suggesting anything untoward. And he was right, they had barely gotten into anything and already she felt emotionally spent.</p><p>"Alright, let's go," she said, standing up as James followed suit.</p><p>As they walked down the street, James subtly reached out and took Lily's hand. She wasn't sure if it was a gesture of affection or reassurance, but she found it comforting either way, and she leaned into it. They walked in silence, but it wasn't awkward or heavy. It felt like they were both taking a moment to gather their thoughts and process their situation. Lily felt that maybe she had misjudged James for a long time. There were still so many things that they disagreed on, but he couldn't be quite as pigheaded as she had presumed.</p><p>James unlocked the door to his apartment and allowed Lily to step in first. She looked around in surprise. Either she had forgotten or simply never noticed how nice his place was. She knew that his family had money (their class difference had been the root of more than one debate) but she hadn't realized that it was live-alone-in-a-loft-that-looks-like-a-top-level-banker's-apartment kind of money.</p><p>"Can I ask you something?" he said, sounding uncharacteristically hesitant as he hung both of their coats on the hooks by the door.</p><p>"Sure," Lily shrugged. At this point, she figured there were few secrets between them.</p><p>"Why'd you think I'd be so against abortion?"</p><p>"That night at the pub, you seemed very staunch in your views," she answered. It was not at all the question she had anticipated.</p><p>"Those weren't my views," James replied quietly. He seemed surprised and a bit hurt, and suddenly Lily felt very embarrassed. "I agree with everything you said, I was just… people overlook that there are legal arguments for the other side, and just because I don't agree with them or believe they should be the winning arguments, doesn't mean they aren't valid."</p><p>"So you were playing devil's advocate?" Lily clarified, her embarrassment mounting.</p><p>"Yeah," he shrugged, though he still looked bothered.</p><p>"Do you always do that when we're debating politics?" she asked, suddenly needing to know whether all the things she had associated him with were true.</p><p>"Not always, but sometimes," he said, clarifying absolutely nothing. "Anytime I agree with you, I argue for the other side. You're so clever, I like hearing your thoughts, and it's much more fun to debate than just talk about how right we both are."</p><p>They both blushed slightly. His admission felt like so much more than just saying that she was a worthy intellectual adversary. It felt so intimate that it made the air around them feel thick and heavy with implication. James ran a hand through his hair and adjusted his glasses like he was trying to decide whether or not to tell her something.</p><p>"I'm crazy about you, Lily," he burst out. "I need you to know that, and I need you to know it now, before we talk about all of this anymore, because when I say it, I don't want you to think that I'm just offering to 'do the right thing' or anything like that. I need you to know that I've been mad about you for so long, and if you want me, Lils, I am all yours, just say the word."</p><p>Lily felt like the tension in the room had become so intense that it was suffocating. She hadn't expected a confession of that sort from him, and it had taken her aback. Perhaps more surprising though, was the warmth and affection that was filling her. She knew that it wasn't just a product of her hormones or their situation. As she thought back, she realised that even when she hated him, she loved him.</p><p>Lily took three steps forward, doing the only thing that felt right to her in that moment. She reached out for him and kissed him, and his arms immediately folded around her. All the tension in the room dissipated in that moment, as they both allowed themselves to recognize and really feel their emotions and their fondness for each other. There was, in that particular kiss, no heat or desperation that their previous encounters had been dominated by, but there was a promise. A promise that through all that would come, they would have each other. An understanding that in each other they had found something rare and irreplaceable.</p>
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